Medicine-dropper.



Patented June 24, I902. W. F. WARE.

MEDICINE DROPPEB.

(Application filed June 8, 1901.)

(N0 Mqdel.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VALTER F. WVARE, OF CAMDEN, NElV JERSEY.

MEDlOlNE-DROPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 03,101, dated June24, 1902.

Application filed June 8, 1901.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IVALTER F. WARE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Camden, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Medicine-Droppers, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in droppers andeye-pipettes; and it consists in the construction as hereinafter setforth.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a device of thischaracterhavingthe valves secured or supported in the nipple orcompression-cap. This construction is especially advantageousinmanufacturing and assembling the parts, as the nipple and valvedisk aremade of rubber and can be easily assembled by the rubberrnanufactiu'er,while the stem or barrel is obtained from a glass factory and can bereadily inserted in the nipple by unskilled persons,and consequently ata very small cost. Another advantage is that should the glass barrel bebroken it can be easily removed from the nipple and a new one insertedwithout having to remove or disturh the valve-disk.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofthe complete device, the nipple, valve-disk, and upper portion of theglass barrel being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation ofthe nipple, showing the valve-seat and valves in position. Fig. 3 is adetail perspective of the valvedisk. Fig. at is a detail sectionillustrating a slight modification in the valve-seat.

In carrying out my invention I provide a tubular barrel 1,preferablycomposed of glass, having a tapering or reduced lower end 2, which inthis instance is shown as being straight, but which might have a curvedend if it should be desired. The upper end of the barrel lis providedwith an exterior flange 3, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, andis adapted to be inserted into the lower open end of the nipple orcompression-bulb 4..

The nipple 4 is made of flexible rubber, having its upper end closed andits lower end open, and is preferably of the shape illustrated in thedrawings. On the interior of Serial No- 68,719. (No model.)

the nipple 4, adjacent to its open end, I provide an annular rib orflange 5, and below this flange 5 is a second flange or thickened wall6, which extends to the open end of the nipple, the two flanges formingan annular recess or groove 7 between their opposing edges.

A flat circular disk 8 is provided, which is of a diameter about equalto the interior diameter of the nipple between the two flanges. The diskSis provided with two small nipples, as 9 and 10, one extending fromeach of its faces and each being provided with a vertically-disposedorifice 11, which enters the said nipples from opposite sides of thedisk. The orifices terminate within a short distance of the end of eachnipple, and a slit 12 is cut in the closed end of each of said nipplesof a depth sufficient to communicate with the orifices 11, thus formingtwo valves opening in opposite directions.

The disk 8 is preferably made of rubber, and in assembling the parts thesaid disk is forced into the nipple 4 until its peripheral edges enterthe annular groove 7, provided on the interior of the said nipple 4:.The upper edge of the disk 8 is preferably provided with a coating ofcement, as at 13, so that when it is inserted in position in the groove7 it will adhere to the lower edge of the flange 5 and becomepractically integral with the rubber nipple at. The upper end of thebarrel 1, having the flange 3 provided thereon,

is then inserted into the open end of the nipple, and its flange 3 isforced into the groove 7 directly under the disk 8, and thus securelyheld in position. When the parts are thus assen1bled,the valve-disk 8would be securely held in its position in the groove 7 without the useof the cement before described; but it is preferable to use this cement,as it will retain the valve-disk in position and prevent itsdisplacement should the barrel 1 be removed from the nipple. It willthus be seen that should the barrel 1 be broken it can be easily andquickly removed from the nipple and a new barrel inserted in its placewithout displacing or disturbing the valve-disk 8.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a slightly-modified form of myinvention,wherein the groove provided on the interior of the nipple a isprovided with a shoulder, so as to form prac tically a double groove,the upper portion 15 having a greater depth than the lower portion 16.In this construction when placing the disk Sin position it will beforced into the upper portion 15 of the groove and securely heldtherein, the shoulder holding it to its position without any danger ofdisplacement should the cement fail to properly adhere to the upper wallof the groove. This is advantageous when the nipples are soldindependent of the glass barrel, as it is then necessary that thevalve-disk should be securely located in its proper position.

In operation when the nipple or bulb 4 is compressed the air will beexpelled from the interior of said nipple through the valve-opening innipple 10 into the barrel 1, Which expels a portion of the air from thesaid barrel. The point 2 of the barrel is then inserted into the liquidto be used, and the nipple or bulb 4 is allowed to expand, which draws aportion of the air from the barrel 1 back into the nipple 4 though themedium of the valve-opening provided in nipple 9, thus causing a partialvacuum in the barrel 1, which is relieved by a portion of the liquidbeing drawn up into it. The dropping of the liquid is then performed byslightly compressing the nipple or bulb 4 in the usual manner.

This invention is designed as an improvement over United States LettersPatent No. 424,632, granted to me April 1, 1890, and I do not desire toclaim the two-way valve broadly, but only as an element in the combinedconstruction, as fully set forth herein, and as particularly pointed outin the claims made hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a compressible nipple open at one end, an annulargroove or recess formed on the interior of said nipple adjacent its openend, a valve-disk having flanges adapted to be seated in said annularrecess, valves upon said disk and a tubular barrel having an annularflange on its upper end clamped snugly in the annular recess of thenipple against the lower margin of the valve-disk, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of'a compressible nipple, open at its lower end, apair of annular ribs or flanges formed on the interior of said nippleadjacentits open end forming a recess between them, a valve-diskprovided with two valves each opening in opposite directions, the marginof said disk being seated against the upper wall of the recess, and atubular barrel having an annular flange on its upper end clamped in therecess below the valvedisk against said disk, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of a compressible nipple, open at its lower end, apair of annular ribs or flanges formed on the interior of said nippleadjacent its open end forming a recess between them, a valve-diskprovided with two valves each opening in opposite directions, the uppermargin of said disk being seated against the upper wall of the recessand cemented thereto so as to become practically integral with thenipple, and a tubular barrel having an annular flange on its upper endadapted to be forced in the recess below the valve-seat said flangeabutting the lower margin of the disk, substantially as described.

4. A compressible nipple or bulb for medicine-droppers, comprising ahollow bulb open at its lower end, an interior groove formed in saidbulb adjacent its open end, a valve-disk having valves opening inopposite directions, the edges of said disk seated in the upper portionof the groove, and means for securing the said valve-disk in the groove,snbstantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of June, A.D. 1901.

WALTER F. WARE.-

Witnesses:

ARTHUR E. NITZSCHE, J No. T. CRoss.

